It has been dang hot here in New England this past week. I kind of like it. It reminds me of our Arizona days and the way I grew to love the desert and to see it as a beautiful place despite it's lack of oak trees and ocean.

Because it has been so hot, because I'm in the middle of marathon taper and because I am still breastfeeding my son I am keenly aware of how important my hydration is.

Here's why it is so important:

The average adult's body is comprised of 55-60% water (the average infant is more: 75-78%) (source)
Water is an essential component of the blood fluid which transports nutrients and oxygen to the body. (source)
Water is essential for brain function. Dehydration can impair short term memory and quick decision making. (Source)

Water is essential for your body's daily function, add to that exercise or breastfeeding and it becomes even more important. What's interesting is that for both breastfeeding and for endurance activities, like running a marathon, getting proper hydration is key. By proper I mean not to much and not to little, it is a fine balance.

Hydration for the Breastfeeding Mom:

According to The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk, it is a common misconception that dehydration will reduce milk supply. In fact only extreme dehydration will negatively affect milk production. Whereas over-hydration can actually decrease milk supply, because the body's reaction to excessive water intake is to get rid of it through the urine. The body does this to maintain proper electrolyte balance, too much water reduce potassium levels resulting in the imbalance. That imbalance is what triggers the body to divert water directly to the bladder to be expelled. The common recommendation is to "drink to thirst" but chances are if you wait that until you are thirsty you're already slightly dehydrated, there are other recommendations that say 64oz of fluid per day, which includes water, soups and juices.

Though being slightly dehydrated may not impact your milk supply it will leave the rest of your body feeling pretty depleted. So it is still important for breastfeeding mama's to maintain proper hydration. Your blood still needs to transport nutrients and your brain still needs to function, after all you've got to be alert and energetic to chase after those little ones.

Hydration for the Runner:

Most runners are aware of the fact that they need to stay hydrated. Most of us boil it down to a pretty simple equation: you lose fluid through sweat you replace it by drinking water. But it is more than that. Just like with breastfeeding, it is a fine balance. Hydration needs of an athlete are dependent on many things but the most prominent are probably the duration of the activity, the intensity and the conditions in which the activity are performed. Some guidelines suggest drinking half of your body weight in ounces. But those ounces need to be more than just water, you also need to be replacing electrolytes to make sure that excess fluid isn't dumped through the urine. The presence of electrolytes (specifically sodium) is essential to maintain blood volume and muscle and nerve function. (source) Which is why drinking an electrolyte beverage is important. I choose to drink Nuun, a sugar-free dissolvable electrolyte tab that you simply add to a bottle of water.

The balance of water and electrolytes is especially important during and endurance event, when there is a real risk of hyponatremia. Hyponatremia occurs when the levels of sodium in the body become diluted causing the fluid regulation of cells to fail and result in health complications from headache and nausea, to unconsciousness and even a coma.

Figuring out your Hydration Needs: Nuun, has something they describe as the "sweat test" on their website. It is a very effective way of figuring out your hydration needs.

Calculating Your Sweat Rate Average sweat rate is typically 1 – 1.5L of fluid per hour (32-48oz), and 500 – 1,500mg of sodium per hour, however your personal sweat rate will depend on several factors such the environmental conditions (temperature, humidity); genetics, and the athletic conditioning of the athlete.

Your sweat rate can be determined by a simple "sweat test":

Take body weight before a one-hour moderate intensity bike or run.
Record the amount of liquid consumed during workout, and weigh yourself again after the workout.
Calculate the weight change and remember to add in the amount of liquid consumed during the workout.
Every pound lost during your workout is equal to 16 oz of fluid.
Most people’s sweat contains about 500mg of sodium per 16oz. Very salty sweaters can have up to 1000mg or 1500mg per 16oz of sweat. As a very general rule of thumb, during long walking or running events, you should pee a minimum of every 2.5 hours to ensure you are staying hydrated.

To help you stay hydrated I'm giving away a four pack of Nuun. You have four chances to enter. Please leave a comment for each. Entries are open until Wednesday July 24th, 2013 at midnight. The winner will be announced on Thursday July 25th.

1. Have you ever tried Nuun? If so what is your favorite flavor? If not which one would you want to try? Check out their flavors HERE.

2.Like RunFarGirl on Facebook. And leave a comment here saying you did so.

3. Follow RunFarGirl on Twitter and leave a comment here saying you did so.

4. Tweet this giveaway: "I want to win #NUUN from @Run_Far_Girl and @nuunhydration! http://wp.me/p2oTFY-Bo"

And if you can't wait for the giveaway here's a coupon code for all RunFarGirl readers to use at check out. Just enter the code hydrateHTC for 15% off your order!

-Sarah

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Hydration, the Breastfeeding Mother-Runner and a NUUN Giveaway

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